


4 Times Sam Didn't Stand Up For Themself + 1 Time They Did

by Otrera



Series: nb!sam [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, Misgendering, Nbphobia, Nonbinary Gabriel, Nonbinary Sam Winchester, Transphobia, the sabriel is very brief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 11:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14670114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otrera/pseuds/Otrera
Summary: Title says it all.





	4 Times Sam Didn't Stand Up For Themself + 1 Time They Did

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SPN AU & Trope Bingo on tumblr. Square Filled: student!sam

**-1-**

College students were usually very liberal, but that didn’t mean the professors were, too. In fact, Professor Zachariah Adler, Sam’s English professor, was about as conservative as one could get.

“Now, as Mr. Winchester demonstrated in his presentation, the order of adjectives in a sentence _does_ matter.”

Sam raised their hand.

“Yes, Mr. Winchester?”

“Um, I’d really appreciate it if you could call me Mx. instead of Mr. And, uh, they instead of he.”

Zachariah narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“I’m nonbinary, sir.”

Zachariah scowled ferociously. “There is no such thing. Do not interrupt my class again, Mr. Winchester.”

Sam shrank down in their seat. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

**-2-**

Sometimes, it wasn’t even that they were conservative. Sometimes they were just plain uneducated. Like the Latin professor, for example.

Professor Milton smiled at Sam with the aura of someone dealing with a particularly slow child. “They is a plural pronoun, Sam. You can’t use it for a single person.”

“But—” Sam started.

“I’m sorry, but the English language just doesn’t work like that. I can call you she, if that would help any?”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam muttered. They gritted out a “thanks” through clenched teeth, packed up their laptop, and left her office.

**-3-**

Sam dropped Art History.

“But you need an elective! You can’t just drop out halfway through the semester!”

“I know, babe, but I just…” Sam sighed and dropped their face into their hands. “It’s a small class, and everyone in it is transphobic. It really fucking sucks.”

Gabriel wrapped their arms around Sam’s waist. “Aw, babe, that sucks.”

“Yeah.”

“You want me to say something to the professor?”

“Nah. It wouldn’t help. They’d still act like assholes, they just wouldn’t do it when the teacher’s looking.”

Gabriel rubbed Sam’s back. “Tell me if you ever need to talk about it, okay?”

“Okay.”

**-4-**

Even worse than being misgendered was when people misgendered them and over-apologized.

“And then he- oh my gosh, Sam, I’m so sorry, I meant they, I’m really, really sorry!”

“S’fine, Becky,” Sam mumbled. It really wasn’t.

“No, Sam, I really am sorry, I know how much it hurts -”

How did she know? She wasn’t trans. She’d never been misgendered. It was almost more uncomfortable when people made a big show of apologizing and correcting themselves. It was like they wanted Sam to praise them for remembering to be a decent human being.

“I’m really sorry -”

Sam sighed.

**+1+**

Dean would tease them to death if he ever found out Sam had joined a book club. But Dean wasn’t in California, so it didn’t matter. Besides, Sam thought it was be fun. It was just six or seven other people. He knew most of them from class, but over the course of a few weeks they got to know the few that they didn’t.

“I kind of think that what Sam said about Milo’s characterisation last week really ties in to this week’s chapter.”

“What did Sam say last week?” Interjected Max. “I missed it, I was sick.”

“Oh, he said -”

Sam cringed internally.

Alicia gave them a sympathetic look. “Want me to say something?” she asked.

“No, it’s fine.”

“And he also pointed out -”

“He -”

“He -”

“He -”

Sam couldn’t take it anymore. “Brady,” they interrupted, “my pronouns are they/them. Stop calling me _he_.”

“Right, sorry,” Brady said, looking not very sorry at all. He proved exactly how sorry he was not five minutes later.

“And Sam, he -”

“ _Brady, stop calling me_ he. He/him are not my pronouns. You’re being really disrespectful, and if you don’t stop, I’ll find someone who will make you.”

Brady swallowed. Sam could look pretty intimidating when they wanted to. They knew how to use their six feet and four inches to their advantage.

“Sorry. As I was saying, _they_ -”

Sam smiled.


End file.
